These computers ran research workloads in our lab. Before one ships, we:
- Remove it from every account and management system. We sign out of the Apple Account, turn off Find My and Activation Lock, and release the Mac from device management. The intake step checks both before it ships.
- Test it. We run Apple Diagnostics and a hands-on check of every component. How we grade
- Erase it with Apple's own tools. Recent Macs use Erase All Content and Settings, which destroys the encryption keys and makes the old data unrecoverable. Older Intel models get a full erase and a fresh macOS install from Recovery.
- Leave it at the setup screen. You set it up with your own Apple Account as if it were new.
None of our data, and nobody else's account, stays on the machine.